Expansible dress-form.



C. A. UFFORD. EXPANSIBLE amass FORM. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1912. I 1,165,045. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

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Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

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CHARLES A. UFFORD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXPANSIBLE DRESS-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed February 26, 1912. Serial No. 679,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ci-mnnns A. UFFoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement 1n Expansible Dress-Forms, of which the following description, in connection wlth the accompanying drawing, is" a spec ficat on, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to dress forms and has for its main object to provide a novel dress form which can be pneumatically expanded to any desired size and to conform to any desired shape.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel dress form in which the in-- fifatable sacs. or chambers are protected so that they will not be accidentally punctured by inserting pins into the form; to provide a pneumatic dress'form having means to limit the expansion at the front thereof, so as to obtain a so-called straight front effeet, while at the same time permitting the hips to be expanded more or less; to provide a pneumatic form having novel means for giving permanent shape thereto at certain points, such as the sh0ulders, bust', hips, etc. and to otherwise improve dress forms all as hereinafter more fully describe'dland pointed out in the claims.v

Referring to the drawings wherein I- have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention for the purpose of disclosing the principle thereof, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dress formembodying my invention taken through the" form from shoulder to shoulder; Fig; 2' is a vertical central section taken at right anglestot'he plane of the section of" Fig: 1; Fig. 3. is a section through the neck on" theline w re, Fig; 1; 'Fig. 4 is'a perspective'viewof'one of the stilfening'members used at the shoulders of the form Fig. 5. is a section on the line a-a, Fig. 41; Fig: '6' is a front'vi'ew" of theform; Fig. 7 is a rear view thereof;

Fig.7 8- is a, perspective view' of'th'ebottom of the form; F ig; 9; is a section onthe line a cord around'them,'as shown at 15.

.My improved: form isma'de with an outer cover or envelop" of an elastic material, such, for instance; as a: knitted. fabric, a lining; of loose fibrous material situated. directly inside, of said envelop, and a2.pluralityfofrsep'a irate infiatable chambers? situated; within. the

form and by which the proper size and shape is given to the form. I also employ within the form a framework whichserves to hold the inflatable chambers in position and also to preserve the general shape of the form. The outer elastic covering or envelop is shown at 1. The lining of loose fibrous material is shown at 2 and the interior framework is shown generally at 3 and the inflatable chambers are shown at 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The framework 3 may have any suitable or appropriate shape, that herein shown comprising a central tubular member 9 having two lateral arms 10 extending therefrom at or adjacent the shoulders of the form, and a plurality of vertically-extending members 11 which with the tube 9 form a sort of partition dividing the form into front and rear portions. These vertically-extending members 11 are shown as wires con nected at one end to the arms 10 and at the other end to a cross piece 12 secured to the tubular member 9. The inflatable chambers 4', 5, 6, 7, 8, etc., are preferably made of rubber or some other elastic material which will readily expand and any number of these inflatable chambers may be used; In the construction herein illustrated I have shown an inflatable chamber or sac 4- at' each shoulder;- two such chambers or sacs 5 at the front or bust portion of the form; two' other chambers 6 at the back; two other chambers 7 at the hip portion of the form; and two elongated chambers 8 extending from the top to the bottom of the form and located centrally thereof at either side of the framework. These inflatable chambers are all separate and independent from each other; and each is adapted to be separately inflatedi I have shown each chamber as having a neck 13 extending therefrom and projecting beyond the form at some point where it is accessible, so that by placing the end of the neck in ones mouth the corresponding sac can be inflated by blowing thereinto. These necks may be closed by suitable valves if desired or by merely tying knots in them, as shown at 14, or'by tying The sacs 4: areplaced above'the arms-I0,

said arms'serving to prevent the sacs from expanding downwardly and thereby causing said sacs to expand upwardly when they are inflated thereby to lift the shouldersof the the form are prevented from expanding inwardly by the framework 3, and consequently when these sacs are inflated they operate to enlarge or' force outward the bust portion of the form. Similarly, the inflatable sacs 6 at the back of the form are prevented from expanding inwardly by the framework, and when they are expanded they tend to force the back of the form outwardly. I

At the bottom of the form I provide a base piece 34 of wood or similar material on which the inflatable sacs 7 are supported, and these sacs are prevented from expandand these sacs are prevented from expanding downwardly by said base piece and from expanding upwardly to any extent by the cross piece 12, so that when said sacs are inflated they tend to force outwardly and increase the size of the form at the hips. The longitudinally-extending sacs or chambers 8 also assist in expanding the form generally and in giving it the desired shape. Since all of these chambers are independent and independently inflatable, it is possible to inflate any one or more of said chambers or sacs and thus give the form any desired shape. In order to give permanency to the shape of the form at certain places, I propose to use stiffening members between the envelop 1 and lining 2 or directly inside of the lining. These stiffening members, one of which is shown at 16 in Fig. 4, are formed from papiermach or similar material which is preferably wrapped or enveloped in fibrous materiahsuch as cotton batting. I propose to place one of these stiffening members at each shoulder, as shown at 16 in Fig. 1, two properly-shaped stiffening members 18 at the back of the form, and two or more such properly-shaped members 19 at the hips. I may also use other of these stiffening members at different places in the form wherever it is desired to give the form a more or less permanent shape. The envelop or cover 1 is shown as being secured to the underside of the base piece 14 by means of tacks or other securing means 20.

I propose to fill the interstices between the inflatable chambers and frame with suitable stuflingmaterial 22 which may be any proper more or less elastic and yielding'material, such, for instance, as excelsior, cocoanut husks, etc., this stuffing material assisting to preserve the general shape of the form.

It is sometimes desirable to secure the socalled straight front effect while still permitting the hips to be enlarged. In order to accomplish this I secure one end of a cord 21 to the tubular member 9 and extend said cord out through the filling or stuffing 22, lining 2 and envelop 1 andthen tie said cord to another cord 23 which is secured-to the base piece 34. ,Byadjusting the knot 2 1 the front ofthe form can be I drawn in more or less to give the desired 7 shape thereto.

25 designate radially-arranged springs therewith a retaining member 26 which limits itsexpans ive movementi These'retaining members are shown as cords which encircle the tube 9 and extend on either side of each spring through the lining and exterior cover or envelop, the ends of the retaining member being tied together, as shown at 60. This construction permits the retaining members to be adjusted to different lengths and, therefore, provides for an adjustment of the size of the neck. These retaining members not only limit the expansive movement of the springs, but they also hold the form properly centered and prevent any one or more of thesprings from expanding the form beyond a certain limit. The base piece 34 has secured thereto'aqtubularv member 28 which passes up through the tubular member 9. 3

29 designates a clamping screw carried by the member 9 and by which the two memshorter waist length. Similarly, by raising the tube 9 on the tube 28, the waist of the form can be lengthened. The set screw 29 provides for preserving the desired waist length of the form.

In order to adjust my improved form to the desired size, I prefer totake a waist or lining. 51which has been made to'fit a person for whom the form isto be adjusted and then to place said waist on the form while the inflatable chambers aredeflated. After the waist has been buttoned or hooked up the separate chambers are inflated more or less until the form completely fills the waist andassumes a shape defined thereby.

In this way the form can be readily adjusted to correspond in shape and size to the person to Whom the waist is fitted. To prevent the waist 51 from drawing up at the lower edge as the form is inflated, I propose to attach strings or cords 52 :thereto, which cords are passed underneath the base 34: and aretied together, as shown at 53 in Fig; 8.

-One convenient way of assembling the will permanently assume.

mes es constituentparts ofthe form embodying my invent-ion is to take two hollow moldsmade of'papier mach orany other material, and each having the shape" of one-half the form, then lay the outer" covering'or envelop 1 in said molds, place the stiffening members 16, 17, 18, 19, etc, at theproper positions against the envelop 1, then put the lining 2 in position, theninsert the inflatable sacs at the proper point and place the frame 3 in one of the molds, and then put thefillingmatter 22 in position, and subsequently put the two halves together and secure' together the meets ing edgesof'the outer envelop 1. The molds are used for holding the parts inapproximate shape, while they are being assembled.

I prefer to makethe stiffening members 16, 17, 18, and 19 of papier'mach' material, and to putthem in place inthe form while they are still Wet and more'or less plastic. As shown in Fig. 5 I propose to take a piece of papier mach material 56 of the proper shape, and while it is still Wet wrap it in an envelop 57 of cotton batting, or some other similar materal, and then take the element thus made and position it in the form. When the complete form has been assembled, therefore, the stiffening members are more or less plastic, and I then place on the form a waist of the desired dimensions and inflate the inflatable sacs, during which operation the plastic stiffening members are readily forced into the shape which they The inflatable chambers are then left inflated until the stiffening members have thoroughly dried, and when they are dry and have become set, they will have the proper contour or shape as defined by the waist or lining 51, and will maintain such shape. While I have herein shown these stiffening members located in certain positions on the form, yet I do not wish to be limited to having them at the places indicated, as it will be obvious that I may use a greater or less number of them, or indeed I may even use a stiffening sheet which will practically cover the Whole form, for by placing such a sheet in the form while soft and then inflating the chambers the sheet will be molded into the desired shape.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a dress form, the combination with an outer elastic envelop, of a layer of soft fibrous material lining said envelop, a plurality of independent inflatable sacs situated at diflerent places within the form, and means within the form to hold said sacs in position.

2. In a dress form, the combination with an outer elastic cover, of alayer of soft fibrous material lining said cover, a framework situated within the form, a plurality 1 of independent separate inflatable sacs situatedat different places within the form and held in position by the framework, and filling material filling-the spaces between said sacs.

3. In a dress form, the combination with an outer elastic. cover, of: a central frame.- work; having laterally-extending arms atthe shoulder of the form, inflatable sacs above and supported by said arms, other in flatable sacs at the bust portion ofthe form, and inflatable. sacs at the hip portion, of the form, each: of said sacs being independen'tly inflatable,

4, Ina dress form, thecombination with. an: outer elastic envelop, of a plurality of independently-inflatable sacs situated within. the form, and separate" rigid" stiffening members situated. exterior to said sacsandwithin the envelop at diflerent places to give permanent shapeto the form;

5. In a dressform, the combination with an outer elastic envelop, of a. plurality of separate and independentlyeinflatable sacs within the form whereby the shape of the form at different parts may be changed by inflating the sacs more or less, a separate rigid stiffening member loosely sustained by the form at each shoulder thereof immediately inside of the envelop thereby to give permanency to the shape at the shoulder.

6. In a dress form, the combination with an outer elastic envelop, of a plurality of separate and independently-inflatable sacs within the form whereby the shape of the form at different parts may be changed by inflating the sacs more or less, a'stilfening member loosely sustained by the form at the bust thereof immediately inside of the envelop thereby to give permanency to the shape at the bust.

7. In a dress form, the combination with an outer covering, of a plurality of inflatable sacs within the form by which the shape of the form can be varied, a frame Work within the form, and a flexible cord connected to the framework and projecting through the form at the front thereof below the waist line and by which the front can be held from an expanding movement.

8. In a dress form, the combination with an outer cover or envelop of expansible material, of a plurality of separate inflatable sacs within the form by which the shape 1 thereof can be changed, a frame within the form, a base piece at the lower end of the form, and a flexible connection connected to the frame below the waist line and extending to the exterior of the form and connected to the base piece, said connection serving to limit the expansion of the form at the front.

9. In a dress form the combination with an outer elastic cover, of separate inflatable sacs at the shoulders of the form, and a support'for each sac which prevents the latter from expanding downwardly whereby When the sacs are inflated the inflating movement isupwardly at the shoulders.

10. In a dress form, the combination With an outer flexible envelop or cover, of a central supporting member, a plurality of radially-arranged springs backed against said supporting member and pressing o-ut- Wardlyagainst theflexible cover, and separate adjustable retaining means'to limit the expansive movement of each spring.

11. In a dress form, the combination With an outer flexible envelop or cover, of a central supporting member, a plurality of radially-arranged springs backed against said supporting member and pressing out Wardly'aga'inst the flexible cover, and means connected to the central supporting member to limit the outward expansive movement of each spring independently.

12. In a dress form, the combination With an outer flexible envelop or cover of a central supporting member, 'a, plurality of Copies of this patent may be obtained for radially-arranged springs V backed; against said supporting member and pressing out Wardly against the flexible cover, and a flexible retaining cord for each spring, said cordsbeing connected to the central supporting member and encircling the springs there r by to limit the expansive movement thereof. 18. In a dress form, the combination With an outer elastic cover, of a plurality of inflatable sacs within said cover, and stiffening members'madeof moldable material situated exteriorIto the sacs and Within the envelop and capable of having a permanent shape given'to them While they are inmoldable condition by the inflation ofthe sacs.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence 7 of tyi'r'o subscribing 'Witnesses. 7 s

' CHARLES A. UFFORD.

Witnesses: i

LoUIs C; SMITH, I

THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. G. i g i 

